McLaren has trashed claims that Ron Dennis telephoned Eric Boullier to say that he was livid following Alonso and Button's podium prank in Brazil.

In the midst of a difficult weekend, Fernando Alonso, side-lined by yet another engine failure, sat by the side of the track in a marshal's chair, the Spaniard playing up to the cameras as he relaxed as if sunbathing.

Within minutes images of the moment went viral and in the hours that followed Photo-shopped versions caused much mirth in the paddock and beyond.

Shortly after, back in the paddock, Alonso, along with teammate Jenson Button ventured on to the podium where next day the winners would be feted, the McLaren duo grinning and waving to the crowds in a brief mock ceremony.

Whilst the rest of us laughed, lapping up the drivers' resilience and good humour in the face of such adversity, according to sections of the Spanish media, team boss Ron Dennis was livid, the Briton telephoning Eric Boullier to berate him for not controlling the drivers.

"Can't you control your drivers?" he is quoted as saying by El Mundo. "What are they doing? Control them!" he allegedly ordered the Frenchman.

However, the team has rubbished the claim.

"This report is total codswallop," a McLaren spokesman told Pitpass, "which means, to make it crystal clear for the El Mundo journalist who wrote it, it's completely untrue."

Check out our Friday gallery, here.